Diode energy converter for chemical kinetic electron energy transfer

Abstract

An improved diode energy converter for chemical kinetic electron energy transfer is formed using nanostructures and includes identifiable regions associated with chemical reactions isolated chemically from other regions in the converter, a region associated with an area that forms energy barriers of the desired height, a region associated with tailoring the boundary between semiconductor material and metal materials so that the junction does not tear apart, and a region associated with removing heat from the semiconductor.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method of forming an energy converter for converting 
       vibrational energy of a vibrationally energized species into a useful form of energy, comprising:
 forming a substrate; 
 forming a semiconductor layer on the substrate; 
 forming a tailoring layer on the semiconductor layer, wherein the tailoring layer comprises one or more ballistic charge carrier materials; 
 forming a Schottky conductor on the tailoring layer, wherein the Schottky conductor comprises one or more ballistic charge carrier materials; 
 and forming a stabilizing interlayer conducting surface from one or more conductors and conducting catalysts on the Schottky conductor; 
 wherein the Schottky conductor and the semiconductor layer form a Schottky diode; 
 wherein the tailoring layer is disposed between the Schottky conductor and the semiconductor layer; 
 wherein the tailoring layer stabilizes mechanical and materials junctions between the Schottky conductor and the semiconductor layer, thereby preventing tearing of the Schottky conductor from the semiconductor layer and; 
 wherein the stabilizing interlayer conducting surface physically isolates chemical reactants from the semiconductor layer and acts as a barrier against chemical transport, the stabilizing interlayer conducting surface comprises one or more ballistic charge carrier materials. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: limiting total thickness of the conductors to a thickness sufficiently small to render the total thickness to be relatively transparent relative to the ballistic transport of hot electrons through the conductors. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the total dimension of all the layers is up to 200 monolayers. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conducting surface is formed such that vibrationally energized species generated on or near the conducting surface transfer a fraction of its vibrational energy to ballistic electrons in the conducting surface when the vibrationally energized species contacts the conducting surface. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the kinetic energy of ballistic electrons is converted into a useful diode forward bias voltage in the semiconductor formed into a Schottky junction. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: choosing the stabilizing interlayer conducting surface from materials that block the passage of reactants and reaction products from reacting with or diffusing through a Schottky conductor. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: choosing the tailoring material from those materials having a surface energy that approximately matches the surface energy of the semiconductor. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate has at least a portion thereof in thermal contact with the flow of the chemical reactants. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is formed from a heat conducting material. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method steps recited therein are performed in seriatim. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is thermally conductive.